Chapter 18 Seeking Conflict

Two more Reverend Insanity fanfics have come out in the past few days, and although they don't have many chapters, I hope that others can give them a read.

If you have time, check out these two fanfics:

Reverend Insanity - Otherworldly Disaster by Wise_Crow

Reverend Insanity - Absolute Sovereign by dagudriblix

Thank you all again.

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Xuanyuan always wondered what Secluded Domains Of Heaven and Earth actually were. Each of them possessed enough Dao Marks to rival, or even exceed a Rank 9 Immortal Gu. Those whom are considered masters of a Secluded Domain Of Heaven and Earth could in fact create a killer move which rivals that of an Immortal Gu. 

Their Dao Marks were positioned and refined so perfectly, that they produced a unique reaction found nowhere else in the World.

Guts Gu, which were produced by Dang Hun Mountain, could only be found in Dang Hun Mountain. No other resource point or Secluded Domain Of Heaven and Earth could ever recreate the conditions upon which Guts Gu could be formed.

Upon realizing this, Xuanyuan became interested in the Secluded Domains Of Heaven and Earth relating to the Shadow Path. There were two mentioned by name in the Legends Of Ren Zu, while only a single other was left unnamed, Shadow Gu taking the memory of it from Ren Zu's mind after he was torn and sealed away.

Shadowless Ocean.

Lightless Heaven.

And a place described as "the silhouette of annihilation, which boarded upon Heaven and Earth".

These three Secluded Domains Of Heaven and Earth, either produced a unique Gu only found there, or a unique reaction which could assist a Gu Master in their cultivation. Xuanyuan had read the Legends Of Ren Zu, but only was Shadowless Ocean described within the ancient text.

"Shadowless Ocean was at an eternal calm, the black ocean reflecting the melancholy of the Heavens and the Earth. The Shadows that were born here, were independent of any living being. They lacked a reflection, and could only reside here, endlessly waiting, drifting amongst an endless sea of shadows".

"Born without a reflection, and without purpose in their lives, they grew malcontent in their idleness. Some grew slothful, others virtuous, some lustful and others became filled with pride, rejecting the need for a reflection, rebelling against their natural order. Anything that floated towards the Shadowless Ocean, was devoured by countless shadows. 

"Ren Zu, after obtaining Shadow Gu, tried to cross the Shadowless Ocean trying to once again find the Blue Sea Of Life. He thought he was safe, using Shadow Gu to disguise himself, but accidentally released the light of Hope Gu, inciting the myriad shadows into a bloodthirsty frenzy".

"The light of Hope! If we can obtain it, we might be able to leave the Shadowless Ocean", they said.

"Look! There is Shadow Gu! If we can eat him, we will no longer be alone in this World!", they said.

"We will finally be able to leave this place!", they said.

"Myriad shadows attempted to latch onto Ren Zu, trying to devour the Light of Hope Gu. If there was once thing in this World that they lacked, it was Hope, and if they could devour Ren Zu's shadow, they could obtain the reflection which they desired so dearly".

"Ren Zu attempted to fight it, but shadows can only ever be touched by another shadow. With assistance from Self Gu, Moon Gu, Memory Gu, and Perseverance Gu, Shadow Gu became strong enough to devour the shadows born without a reflection".

"Shadow Gu grew immense in size and depth, devouring countless shadows before him. During this fight, the line between Man and Shadow started to blur, and a ferocious and bloodthirsty aura started to emanate from Ren Zu and Shadow Gu".

"Shadow Gu slowly started understood the vastness of the Moon, stretching its shadow in the gentle light of the Heavens. Shadow Gu understood the meaning of Perseverance, even as myriad shadows clawed at its body. Shadow Gu started to understand the importance of the Self, comprehending the meaning of identity and personal experiences".

"Born Of the Self and Man, Shadow Gu was the reflection of all living beings, but was tied to the life and death of Ren Zu. Eventually, it grew to a size that even Ren Zu couldn't handle, forcing him to throw up, accidentally throwing Memory Gu into the Shadowless Ocean, obscuring memories within shadows".

"The Shadowless Ocean carried within it countless memories of lost shadows, devoid of their destined reflection. Anguish, rage, malice and desire rampaged within the Shadowless Ocean, yet, the surface remained calm and still, reflecting the cloudless sky above it...".

Shadow Gu and Memory Gu were important in this particular part of the Legends of Ren Zu. Shadow Gu devoured shadows devoid of a reflection, increasing the size of Ren Zu. Additionally, Memory Gu was devoured by shadows, allowing shadows to possess their own memories.

This was an assumption that Xuanyuan had come to. The Truth might be more complicated than that, but he could feel something churn inside of him, as he read the passage over and over again in his mind.

"Shadowless Ocean is a shadow of the cloudless sky. Theoretically, it can only exist in a place devoid of clouds. Lightless Heaven was a place where the light of the Immemorial Nine Heavens could not reach, but still somehow birthed shadows in complete and utter darkness. And the final could literally be anywhere. No clues on where that could be".

Xuanyuan theorized that Shadowless Ocean was somewhere in the Eastern Sea. It wasn't founded on any solid evidence, only that the Eastern Sea contained an innumerable number of oceans and seas. It was possible that Shadowless Sea was hidden somewhere, or protected by an unknown Gu Immortal.

Xuanyuan paused all of his thoughts relating to the Shadow Path Secluded Domains Of Heaven and Earth, hearing a knock coming from his study door.

"Little Yuan, there is a Long Xi and a Yu Zhong Er here to see you. They are waiting in one of the side rooms near the refinement study".

Xuanyuan perked up, hearing Elder Luo's voice through the walls. Glancing at the stacks of books scattered about the floor, Xuanyuan ignored them, swiftly exiting his study only to be greeted with the amused smile of Elder Luo.

"Master! You... were waiting for me?", he asked.

Elder Luo usually just informed him that guests were here before heading over and entertaining them. Most of the guests were usually other Elders, or merchants in charge of the various stores or franchises in Earth Soul City.

Never had Xuanyuan had guests come over before. Needless to say, it made the older man, pleased, more than anything else.

The grey haired old man stroked his beard smiling somewhat proudly at Xuanyuan. The younger man just glanced behind him at his study, closing the door swiftly before his Master could see the mess inside.

"Is there something the matter Master? You have a weird expression on your face", he said.

Elder Luo chuckled loudly, nodding slightly before walking away.

"Nothing important worth sharing, Little Yuan. A little surprising is all, but nevertheless, a welcome change".

Xuanyuan raised an eyebrow before shaking his head, watching his Master grin as he walked to the opposite side of the residence. His brows furrowing for a moment, before Xuanyuan shook his head, rolling his eyes a little.

'Perverted old man... What does he think, that I'm seeing both at the same time?', he thought.

Xuanyuan went to his room and change out of his clothes. He noticed that a set had already been prepared for him, a simple, yet elegant set of black robes. There were no fancy additions, yet the material was probably made from a powerful spider beast capable of fighting Gu Masters.

Quickly heading towards Elder Luo's refinement study, Xuanyuan frowned a little, not quite sure about Long Xi or Yu Zhong Er's visit. 

'Are they here to take me on a Sect Mission? I didn't think that Yu Zhong Er would even consider it before I reached the Peak Rank 1 Gu Master stage... Is it about Huo Jin? Perhaps they seek to find refuge from him under the umbrella of another Elder?'.

Xuanyuan had only heard information about Huo Jin from Long Xi and Yu Zhong Er. Both of them considered him a lascivious third generation Gu Master who was taught both martial arts and the Fire Path from a young age. He was a B Grade Talent, and his grandfather made sure that he had everything he could ever want in life.

He had joined the Golden Soul Hall, and reveled in its immense wealth, enjoying senseless spending and endless hedonism. Ever since he became a Gu Master he had tried to entice Long Xi, Yu Zhong Er and a few other beautiful female Gu Masters into his bed, knowing full well of his reputation as a playboy.

From Xuanyuan's perspective, he was a playboy, but wasn't a Demonic Gu Master. He didn't commit wanton sexual assault or force himself on women that tried to say no to him. He was a member of the Ancient Soul Sect, even wealth and a powerful background wasn't enough for a Righteous Path Gu Master to turn a blind eye to heinous crimes.

He had harassed female Gu Masters, but never touched them. Even if he had committed a crime in the past, he would've have learned from his mistakes, not daring to do anything that might get him in trouble.

"Let us see what these two want then shall we?", he muttered to himself.

Xuanyuan entered the side room, his eyes immediately landing on Long Xi and Yu Zhong Er. The pair were dressed in their usual Ancient Soul Sect Inner Sect disciples robes, Long Xi appearing as clean and refined as Yu Zhong Er today.

Raising an eyebrow, he noticed a slight tension in the room as he entered.

"From your visit here, I take it that it couldn't of waited until our next class?", he asked.

Xuanyuan sat down opposite Long Xi and Yu Zhong Er, the former glancing at the latter, before nodding, her expression slightly guilty.

"Huo Jin thinks that the three of us are involved. He made some... comments about you and your relationship with us", she said.

Xuanyuan suppressed a groan, before pinching the bridge of his nose, letting out a deep breath.

"Does he know about your Rank 2 Liquor Worm?", he asked.

Yu Zhong Er shook her head.

"No, he doesn't. However, someone, one of his lackeys from Golden Soul Hall have been keeping an eye on us for a while. They watched you speak with both us, individually and as a group, and have come to the conclusion that you are, to some degree, involved with at least one of us".

Xuanyuan didn't bother suppressing his groan this time, slumping into his chair and ruining the creaseless edges of his nice black robes. 

'For a minute there, I almost forgot about arrogant young masters. I guess this is a cultivation world after all', he thought.

Xuanyuan just shrugged his shoulders, his eyes firmly locked on the girls sitting opposite him.

"Can't you just tell him I'm a student of yours? Although, assuming that his lackeys are twisting the truth a little, I suppose he won't believe anything either of you tell him. I would probably be the last person he believes as well... what a dumb situation", Xuanyuan muttered the last part, but Long Xi and Yu Zhong Er both heard it loud and clear.

"Needless to say, Little Yuan, Huo Jin... might make it hard for you over the next couple weeks. Harass you before the start and end of every class, in the Wood Soul Hall whenever you try and grab something to eat, whenever you visit Earth Soul City, and potentially whenever you exit the Sect on Sect Missions...", Long Xi seemed apologetic, but Xuanyuan just waved it off a little.

"I know the rules of the Sect, Senior Sister Long. Using Gu against another disciple outside of sparring or tournaments will result in them being thrown into the Burning Soul Hall for punishment. Huo Jin will never act himself, using his lackeys to do his dirty work for him".

Xuanyuan tapped the side of his chair for a moment, humming, before standing up, nodding at his two Senior Sisters. Both of them seemed surprised at Xuanyuan's sudden actions, before he gave them both a smile.

"Don't worry about me. I'm thankful that you came to warm me in the first place. With Elder Luo backing me, he won't do anything to forceful, probably hoping to goad me into acting first. So long as I do not throw the first punch, there is nothing for me to worry about".

His smile seemed calm, and yet Long Xi couldn't help but frown, standing up and shouting at Xuanyuan.

"You don't understand! One wrong move in Earth Soul City and you could end up crippled Xuanyuan! His lackeys would flee the City and hide out in one of the territories near the subsidiary Sects! You could actually be hurt!".

Xuanyuan paused for a moment, halfway out the door. His expression unperturbed as his eyes reflected Long Xi and Yu Zhong Er's figures. His eyes seemed different in that moment, somewhat cold instead of carrying the usual curious and knowledgeable glint in them. 

"I do not seek enmity with others Senior Sister. Cultivation is a path of self-exploration, of self-empowerment, of self-discovery. It is a lonely path, albeit with intersections here and there along the way. If someone wants to waste their time seeking conflict with me, instead of cultivating, then I will make sure that I end the conflict before it becomes too time-consuming".

"They are not just distracting myself, but you Senior Sister Long, and you Senior Sister Yu. They are distracting themselves from cultivation and developing their attainments and comprehensions. But if this is the Path they walk, then so be it".

Long Xi and Yu Zhong Er remained silent to Xuanyuan's words.

They had heard of his perspective on cultivation, but it was the first time hearing themselves how much Xuanyuan valued his time and cultivation. It seemed... lonely. But at the same time, both fanatical and romantic.

If cultivation was a woman, then it was the only woman for Xuanyuan. Anyone who tried to take her from Xuanyuan, would be met with anger, rage and disgust.

Xuanyuan gave his Senior Sisters one last bow.

"If you excuse me Senior Sisters. Please, spend as much time here as you want. It will make it easier to provoke Huo Jin in the future".

The otherworldly demon left the room, leaving only his two somewhat stunned Senior Sisters alone. 

"... I know we came here to warn Little Yuan about Huo Jin, but I think we inadvertently just set Little Yuan on Huo Jin and his lackeys, right, Zhong Er?... Zhong Er? Are you listening to me?", Long Xi stamped her foot, glaring at her friend, whose gaze lingered on the spot where Xuanyuan once stood.

Her brows furrowed, as if trying to convey something.

'Don't walk down "that" Path, Xuanyuan. I don't want you to end up like "her", she thought.